Smith Point County Park on Long Island, New York: A Response

After reading Smith Point County Park on Long Island NY, I thought to respond. I hope I can offer a different perspective of Smith Point County Park. I also live on Long Island and enjoy hiking and spending time outdoors.

TWA Flight 800 Memorial
No matter what you think about the crowds and large parking area of Smith Point's main Pavilion, you must stop by to visit the TWA Flight 800 Memorial. This is a world class memorial which honors 230 people who lost their lives on July 17, 1996. I remember that day. I was hiking at the Pine Barrens with a group of friends when we heard the crash, but that's another story. I would recommend anyone to go and see this memorial. It is a beautiful and restful place where people and nature coincide. It is a place where you can feel at peace.

Fire Island National Seashore
Smith Point is a great jumping off point to explore Fire Island National Seashore and it's wilderness areas. Our favorite hike is to walk a mile or so behind the dunes on Burma Road and back on the ocean side. The old road leads up to Old Inlet. We return with an ocean side walk. Along the way you can spot deer, pick beach plums during the right season, listen to birds and explore several pine groves. We often take a thermos of hot tea with us and some snacks. You may spot hunters but they will not bother you! On the ocean side, you can feel the ocean breeze, look out for beach erosion, and see what has washed up to shore on the wrack line.

On Going To The Beach - No Lifeguards
On hot summer days, I must confess that lately we take the Sayville Ferries over to Fire Island. We've found driving out east to be too far. But if we do go to Smith Point County Park, we again head over to the Fire Island National Seashore. It is just west of the large parking lot and there's a way to short cut over there just be careful when crossing. With no lifeguards there, however, you must be careful swimming . Swim at your own risk. If the surf's too rough, play in the waves breaking on the shore line.

On Going To The Beach - With Lifeguards
To be near the lifeguards, and if you want to avoid the crowds, try an off peak season time. I wouldn't recommend going to the beach on Memorial Day or July 4th for example! Suffolk County Lifeguards regularly win awards and are well trained. If there aren't enough swimming areas or if we'd like to see the hours extended, then we must lobby to increase the number of lifeguards and hours needed on the beach. But I'm not aware of this being an issue at the moment. Please let me know otherwise.

General Access Issues
Off season is free parking which is great. During the summer season, there is a charge, and this gets expensive if you plan to go every day, but there are season passes. One of the reasons why we go less in the summer time is the parking fee. I am forever grateful that our local beach on the north shore doesn't charge for parking! But I know a friend who swims at Smith Point after hours. The only real issue is that you are chased off the beach after sunset. I've been there in the summer wanting to see the stars at night and have had to contend with obnoxious regulations. Enforced by county vehicles flashing lights and sounding off warnings, I often wondered if there was a more effective way to balance recreational access and safety. This is something I may want to look into further with your help. During the off season in winter, the beach closes at 4 pm! This is a common problem at many beaches. As long as you arrive by car, they can control your access. Let me know if you feel the same way.

Ticks, Mosquitoes, and Poison Ivy
Lately, for eastern parts of Long Island, come mid summer and through October, we have what I call baby ticks. They are the tick larvae of the lone star tick. I don't know if they are on Fire Island, but they are really bad in the Pine Barrens. At first, most people think they are chiggers. If you have a problem with this let me know. To avoid them, don't walk in the brush during the season, or use specialized insect spray. As for other times of year, do remain aware that ticks are present. As for mosquitoes, keep in mind that windy days keep them down. On other days, when you are going back to your car in the parking lot, bring along a large beach towel and keep moving fast. One more thing to watch out for is poison ivy. Poison Ivy has a hairy vine, most prominent in the winter, and leaves of three -- without thorns. You only find it in the wilderness area, behind the dunes.

Piping Plover - Endangered Species
I have found the County takes great pains to balance recreational access and the protection of piping plovers. Piping plovers have been put on the national endangered species list which means that there overall population numbers are declining at an alarming rate. If we don't take action now, they will not survive. That's pretty scary when you think about it -- being responsible for a entire species destruction. To help the County out, avoid the fenced in areas. These are nesting areas, and the birds nest during the summer season. You may also see them feeding on the shore line. If you can help the County with there protection efforts this would be a great thing to do. I've worked with the County and I know that they make every effort to balance recreation and protection when it comes to piping plovers!

Kayaking
You can park and put in at Smith Point and paddle west along the shoreline, on the bay side. Make sure the day is calm and not windy. We paddle up to Old Inlet and back. It's great fun. The only tricky point is putting in. It's a bit rocky.

Overall
Smith Point is a heavily used ocean beach. For all its use, however, it's still a great place to visit. You just need to figure out the best way how.